Laraine Day

Beloved by sports fans as The First Lady of Baseball, Laraine Day earned her first admirers in movie theatres. In addition to her extremely photogenic face, she projected degrees of charm and empathy...
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Just last night, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday’s SNL host Maya Rudolph hinted that she may see the return of former cast mate, Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler when she returns to the hallowed stage. And while she didn’t confirm it, it’s not too much of a stretch to assume some of her former cohorts might come back to lend her a hand – seeing old cast members reunite is half of the fun of having them come back to host. With that in mind, the best way to get pumped for this weekend’s (potential) reunion extravaganza is to run down some of the best SNL cast reunions.
Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph Sing About Baby-Making
When mother-to-be Tina Fey hosted the Mother’s Day episode, she got the reunions going right out of the gate when former cast member and fellow expectant mother Rudolph joined her during her monologue. Defying what her television alter ego, Liz Lemon, would do, Fey led Rudolph in a sexy, R&amp;B song about babies, mommas, and making babies, baby. The performance came right after the release of her book in which she wrestles with the decision to postpone a second baby, writing, “To hell with everybody! Maybe I’ll just wait until I’m fifty and give birth to a ball of fingers! ‘Merry Christmas from Tina, Jeff, Alice, and Ball of Fingers,’ the card will say.” It would seem this reunion is not only a comedy lover’s dream, but a lullaby for little Ball of Fingers.
The Return of “Really!?! With Seth and Amy”
Nothing was quite as cathartic as the Weekend Update segment “Really!?! With Seth and Amy.” It’s come back with the sadly shortened subtitle “With Seth” and once, “With Seth and Kermit” but without Queen Poehler, the sketch just doesn’t cut it. What can we say, she’s really good at saying, “REALLY!?! I mean really.” So when Poehler’s 2009 hosting gig saw the bubbly blonde returning to Weekend Update to question Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim that Americans were behind the terrorist attacks on 9-11, her angry ranting was like a breath of fresh, funny air.
Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek Returns to Face Off With Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery
Though former SNL writer and actor Norm McDonald once admitted this recurring sketch was created solely as a venue for his Burt Reynolds impression, it quickly became the Will Ferrell show as his turgid Alex Trebek gained a certain contentious chemistry with Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery. And in 2009, when Ferrell returned to host the show that launched his illustrious and often terrifyingly shirtless career, Ferrell was practically upstaged by the return of “Connery,” the pre-school antics of Tom Hanks, and a surprise appearance by the inspiration for the original sketch. (Hint: It rhymes with Kurt Heynolds.)
The “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” Single Performance Reunion Tour
It would seem that no one can bring SNL favorites back together like the infinitely likable Jimmy Fallon. The actor has been called the “Star” of the show by many former cast mates, including Queen Tina Fey in her book Bossypants, so the fact that he was able to get Chris Kattan, Horatio Sanz, and Tracy Morgan back together to sing (or bop along like Muppets) the “classic” holiday song is no surprise at all. It’s like a hot cup of peppermint cocoa with really awkwardly shaped marshmallows floating in it – comforting, yet slightly irksome.
Dana Carvey and Mike Myers Party On
While Myers and Carvey are clearly far from their teenage youth, the duo reunited in 2011 when Carvey hosted SNL to discuss the impending Oscars ceremony. They had a particular fixation on Winter’s Bone (Winter’s BONE). Seeing the pair reunite for the first time since the watered down reincarnation during the 2008 MTV Movie Awards was welcomed by fans and the actors alike. In fact, Carvey even got a bit of the Wayne’s World bug, telling TMZ, “If they want, we can play 'em in their 50s ... 'Wayne! My prostate's enlarged!” Well, as they say, “Party on, Garth!”
The Ladies of ‘SNL’ Skewer the ‘Real Housewives’ Series
For one glorious night, the ladies of SNL past and present came together to deliver a pitch-perfect impression of Bravo’s bread and butter, Real Housewives reunions hosted by Andy Cohen – who was also on hand to keep the funny ladies in check. Laura Dunn, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Tina Fey gathered in New York to get the cat fight going while Laraine Newman, Amy Poehler, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus gathered in Los Angeles to add their two cents. Not only was the subject the perfect way to showcase these ladies’ varied comedic styles, but it if you pay close attention, you can hear the development of Rudolph’s current TV persona from Up All Night. Just listen for the “in-saan.”

Played the leading female role of the mother in an NBC one-hour dramatic special, an adaptation of the adventure novel, "The Swiss Family Robinson"

Last feature film to date, "The Third Voice"

First film as actor, "Stella Dallas"; played a bit part; credited as Laraine Johnson

First TV-movie, "Murder on Flight 502"

Guest starred on a two-part episode, the third-season premiere, of the long-running CBS mystery series, "Murder, She Wrote"

Starred in the short-lived ABC variety and interview show, "The Laraine Day Show/Daydreaming with Laraine"

Acted in "Foreign Correspondant", directed by Alfred Hitchcock

First film in color, "The Story of Dr. Wassell", directed by Cecil B DeMille for Paramount

Joined MGM; except for several loan-outs, worked exclusively for the studio for the next three years; adopted stage name

Left MGM

Gave perhaps her best screen performance as a psychotic in "The Locket"

Acted in seven of MGM's popular "Dr. Kildare" as the title hero's fiance, Nurse Mary Lamont

Worked primarily for RKO

Last feature films for five years, "I Married a Communist/The Woman on Pier 13" and "Without Honor"

Summary

Beloved by sports fans as The First Lady of Baseball, Laraine Day earned her first admirers in movie theatres. In addition to her extremely photogenic face, she projected degrees of charm and empathy that made her perfect to play Nurse Mary Lamont in MGM's popular series of "Dr. Kildare" pictures. That regular exposure introduced the Utah native to many filmgoers, but it was also emblematic of the insubstantial fare the studio relegated her to. Day had her best parts when working for other companies, including Alfred Hitchcock's superb thriller "Foreign Correspondent" (1940) and the film noir outing "The Locket" (1946), which offered her a major image change as a thief who drives men to their deaths. Although that performance might have opened more doors for her, Day's marriage to New York Giants manager Leo Durocher brought about an unexpected career shift. Adopting her husband's love of baseball, Day became involved with two television programs dedicated to the game and she was among the first female TV personalities to regularly cover sports. Although she co-starred in "The High and the Mighty" (1954) and on various TV programs in the years that followed, Day was content to spend the majority of her time away from show business, attending to her family and the Mormon church. Aptly described by <i>The New York Times</i> as a "B+ Movie Star," Day rarely appeared in top-flight motion pictures, but her sincerity and wholesome appeal as a performer added much to the ones she did grace.

Name

Role

Comments

Leo Durocher

Husband

married in 1947; divorced in 1960; born on July 27, 1905; died on October 7, 1991 at age 86

Gigi Grilihkes

Daughter

born in 1964

Michael Grilikhes

Husband

married in 1960; produced the short-lived CBS animated program, "CBS Cartoon Theater" (1956)